Companies asking for current salary before offer (401k, job interviews, career)

[NCMAN]

Bottom line is that companies ask for salary information to give them the upper hand in salary negotiations. I normally ask them for the salary range prior to giving them my current salary information. It seems only fair, but they are not interested in being fair.

I'm in a situation where the guy working with me is making 20K more a year, but yet I seem to get all the hard work and he constantly asks me questions....GO FIGURE....

[dspguy]

I feel like I've posted this in numerous threads:

The key is to say that your company's policy prohibits you from discussing your current salary with them. That removes their upper hand. They will not question you. Hell, they'd rather have an employee that follows policy.

If you tell them your salary, you are not doing yourself any favors.

[BingCherry]

Originally Posted by SuperchargedSS

they cant verify it, so tell them whatever you want!

They CAN, but 99.999% of the time a previous employer will NEVER give it to them. The MOST a previous employer does is verify that you WERE an employ and the dates of employment.

There are FAR too many lawsuits for them to want to do anything other than that.

TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT. I've done it my entire life and that's why I make more than people with a Masters..and I'm not even finished with college!

[BingCherry]

Originally Posted by black_fx_35

I am a Corporate Recruiter with a F500 company. I ABSOLUTELY always ask candidates their current or most recent salary structure (base, bonus, stock options, car allowances, per diems, etc), as well as what their salary expectations are. I ask this to ensure I am not wasting anyones time, and to ensure I can come up with a competetive, equitable, reasonable salary offer.

If you don't want to waste their time, the salary range for the position should be posted and/or you should be asking them this BEFORE they go through the trouble of interviewing.

It really pisses me off that so many job ads post without a salary and call you in to interview. A WISE person would post the job ad WITH the salary to make sure they're receiving candidates that already know what range to expect.

It seems sneaky not to do so. You can't convince me otherwise.

[MSchemist80]

The trouble is if they post a salary range $50-70k the candidate is going to come in and start arguing that they should get $70k. So they post nothing and shop for the cheapest sucker with the right qualifications.

Still I like the way the Govt does things. You know what you are going to make before hand and you are guaranteed an increase in pay if you do well so you know what your potential is.

[BingCherry]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

The trouble is if they post a salary range $50-70k the candidate is going to come in and start arguing that they should get $70k. So they post nothing and shop for the cheapest sucker with the right qualifications.

Still I like the way the Govt does things. You know what you are going to make before hand and you are guaranteed an increase in pay if you do well so you know what your potential is.

EXACTLY MS! That's EXACTLY my point. The previous poster made it seem like there's some "sweet" agenda behind HR. There is NOT.

Companies that can't give a range are a WASTE of time. I don't even apply to positions without a salary. More than often, they will waste your time with 2-3 interviews and if you're lucky, you will get an offer and find out it's beans! Or they pull that crap where they ask what your current rate is.

It's like..if your company is too effing cheap to pay a decent salary, then they can't afford to be hiring. I love when companies hire cheap and get what they pay for. That's what they deserve!

Don't apply to jobs that don't post the salary. That's a sign of a cheap employer right there and the wrong foot to start on. Who the hell wants to work for a knowingly cheap employer? Not I!

[hopefulone]

Originally Posted by pinkybumpkin

EXACTLY MS! That's EXACTLY my point. The previous poster made it seem like there's some "sweet" agenda behind HR. There is NOT.

Companies that can't give a range are a WASTE of time. I don't even apply to positions without a salary. More than often, they will waste your time with 2-3 interviews and if you're lucky, you will get an offer and find out it's beans! Or they pull that crap where they ask what your current rate is.

It's like..if your company is too effing cheap to pay a decent salary, then they can't afford to be hiring. I love when companies hire cheap and get what they pay for. That's what they deserve!

Don't apply to jobs that don't post the salary. That's a sign of a cheap employer right there and the wrong foot to start on. Who the hell wants to work for a knowingly cheap employer? Not I!

You are spot on!

[donie1]

They want to see if they can lowball you on the salary. If they can get someone that made $35,000 previous for a $45,000 job with experience, they will give you $40,000.

[BingCherry]

Originally Posted by donie1

They want to see if they can lowball you on the salary. If they can get someone that made $35,000 previous for a $45,000 job with experience, they will give you $40,000.

They may have planned to pay 50k for a position, but they round up a couple dozen suckers and see who will take the lowest and work the hardest.

I have gone to interviews like this and been pissed everytime. The nerve for them to call me in for a 35-40k/year job when my resume requirements clearly state 50k+/year. Why waste THEIR time or OURS?

You better believe I write up a review on them online. Good luck getting candidates to come in to interview after that! LOL

[hopefulone]

Originally Posted by pinkybumpkin

they may have planned to pay 50k for a position, but they round up a couple dozen suckers and see who will take the lowest and work the hardest.

I have gone to interviews like this and been pissed everytime. The nerve for them to call me in for a 35-40k/year job when my resume requirements clearly state 50k+/year. Why waste their time or ours?

you better believe i write up a review on them online. Good luck getting candidates to come in to interview after that! Lol

lol